Common Baskettail vs Hector’s Beaked Whale

Epitheca cynosura compared with Mesoplodon hectori

Key Differences

• Common Baskettail is Least Concern while Hector’s Beaked Whale is Data Deficient.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Common Baskettail	Hector’s Beaked Whale
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Insecta (Insects)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Odonata (Odonata)	Cetacea (Whales & Dolphins)
Family	Corduliidae	Hyperoodontidae
Genus	Epitheca	Mesoplodon
Species	Epitheca cynosura	Mesoplodon hectori

Evolutionary Relationship

Common Baskettail and Hector’s Beaked Whale share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

Common Baskettail

LC — Least Concern

Hector’s Beaked Whale

DD — Data Deficient

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Common Baskettail	Hector’s Beaked Whale
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Common Baskettail

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Found in United States.

Hector’s Beaked Whale

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Common Baskettail

The common baskettail (<em>Epitheca cynosura</em>) is a dragonfly found across terrestrial and freshwater habitats of the United States. It is classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, reflecting a stable and widespread population within its native range. <em>Epitheca cynosura</em> belongs to the family Corduliidae and is typically associated with ponds, lakes, marshes, and slow-moving streams, where its aquatic larvae develop. Adults are often observed patrolling over open water and forest edges in search of prey and mates. The species is named for the basket-like egg mass that females carry at the tip of their abdomen before depositing eggs in water. Males often form feeding swarms, particularly in the morning hours, where they capture small flying insects. Biological traits of this species remain poorly documented in the scientific literature.